The best and the worst of drugstore lipstick

The number of times I have wandered around Sephora, filled my arms with 13 different lip stains/pencils/sticks/creams that I so clearly needed, decided that I was poor and insane and then immediately set them all down and left the store empty handed, is, well, TOO many to count. Am I alone in that? I feel like I'm not alone in that.

There are some kinds of makeup, and it varies from person to person, that are worth splurging on. For me, that is foundation, because I have tried numerous varieties and I know what I like—and what I like isn't the cheapest stuff. However, for things like lipstick, I love to try out new kinds without spending an exorbitant about of money in the process. Enter: drugstore brand lipsticks. But because I'm still not willing to sacrifice much in terms of quality, I decided to spend a little time and not too much money doing the legwork, to get a better feel for what's out there. I bought six different varieties of lipstick at a drugstore (all for under $10, some for wellllll under $10), and I have worn them over the past couple of weeks to assess each one.

This lipstick felt rich going on, which I love, and it did 'outlast' as the name suggests. Although the color is a slightly more intense red, I found that it looked different depending on what clothing I was wearing—meaning I think it could be dressed up or down, elevated or downplayed. I wore it out for drinks one night, and a person complimented it within the first few minutes I arrived at the restaurant! I half-promise that's not making me biased in my assessment of this lipstick. But honestly—this was a great purchase, and I'm interested in checking it out in other shades.

I'm a little torn on this lipstick, although I don't think I'd end up buying it again. I really did like the color and the way that it looked on my lips, but the quality felt inferior. It needed to be fuller coverage, because adding more to get an even color made it seem a little caked on. It just didn't feel effortless and low-maintenance enough, which is what you really need to pull off an electric color like this one. I might be willing to try it in a hue closer to my natural lip color.

I found that the texture of this lipstick made it very hard to stay within my lip-lines when applying it—it was too soft and glossy, without actually being gloss. It just felt as though it swiped on and off (and therefore all around) way too easily—and it was proven after just a few sips from a wine glass and I looked like I'd worn only bright red liner out to dinner. It also had a slight shininess that made it feel cheap. The color was not orangey enough, but also not rich enough, to pull off being so vibrant. This was my least favorite purchase of the six.

This lipstick reminded me of a stain, and it had great staying power. It didn't feel like anything to the touch, which I love. I ended up really loving the vampy color! I'd probably only wear it at night with lighter eye makeup (I just wore mascara on my top lashes, with no liner), and I'd pair it with more feminine clothing to keep things balanced. This was a great purchase that I'd gladly make again.

One of my biggest pet peeves with buying lipstick is when the actual shade in no way even resembles the color the lipstick appears to be. So, let me begin by saying that these Revlon lip crayons are incredibly misleading in that way—it's a bit of a "life is like a box of chocolates" surprise every time you try one out. However, of all the lipsticks I sampled, this one felt the best on. It was balmy and moisturizing, without feeling at all wet. It was also so easy to apply—and I'd recommend it for anyone without a lot of experience applying lipstick because the shape of the crayon takes a lot of the guesswork out of getting it on right. However, as a downside to this crayon's positive qualities, it didn't have great staying or masking power—so I wouldn't recommend this one in a color that strays too far from your natural lip color.

The color of this one was A+, and it felt like a version of just-off-red that would look good on many different skin tones and lip tones. It went on with a more matte look and feel, making it less intimidating for daytime. I'd easily wear it during the day without it feeling costumey, and it would work just as well at night, too. I wore it to work, and through a couple cups of coffee, it still looked as if It had been freshly applied. It stayed smooth and uniform for several hours, and it made a nice statement on its own without any eye makeup. This was the best buy I made, and I'm looking forward to confidently buying from this line again.